So it’s that time of the year again where you start inviting your family and friends for cocktail parties. While your cocktail parties may be the talk of the town, they may not be necessarily eco-friendly. Not to worry though, for here are some sure shot ways you can make your parties more eco-friendly without compromising on the fun and drinks.
Choose Seasonal TAP over Bottles
Instead of ordering your wine from outside, consider choosing local breweries that would help you reduce travel costs and fuel emissions. It also pays to choose TAP beer over bottles as they cost less and are greener. You can also opt for Tetra packs that are considerably more eco-friendly than bottles.
Choose Eco-Friendly Spirits
When buying spirits for your cocktail party, try to choose varieties that are eco-friendly and follow good practices. Check the ingredients to see if the spirits contain any harmful ingredients that may harm you as well as the environment.
Choose organic spirits
Several companies are coming forward to introduce organic liquors. In addition to enjoying a reduced carbon footprint during production, these spirits would incorporate several eco-friendly practices using recycled products to avoid water wastage.
Choose homemade green mixers
Mixers can turn out to be pretty expensive. They may not be the best choices for budget friendly cocktail parties. In this case, you can opt to make your own mixer at home. For instance, an appropriate mix of mint, club soda, strawberries, seltzer and vodka can offer a very refreshing cocktail that does not overburden your calorie count or your carbon load. You can also hunt around for similar recipes on the internet, choosing the ones that are easy to prepare and look enticing enough to make your eco-friendly cocktail party a huge success.
Choose eco-friendly ice
Your eco-friendly cocktail party does not stop with the choice of cocktails alone. Rather, it extends to the other items available at the party as well, including the ice cubes. A cocktail party can never be complete without ice. While ice is considered a necessity, the process that goes into making it is not as eco-friendly as one might think it to be.
For instance, you need to first get some water and then use electricity to freeze it. And did we forget to mention that by the time the party ends, most of this ice will go down the drain anyways. So how do you go about ensuring your cocktail party keeps getting its regular supply of ice, albeit without causing any harm to the environment in the process?
You can start by unplugging the ice maker in your refrigerator when the bin is already full of ice. You can also opt for ice trays rather than an ice maker. Transfer finished ice cubes to an ice bucket or freezer bag to prolong their life. Finally, keep cubes relegated to mixed drinks, thus eliminating the need to keep on making more ice in the icemaker.
Recycle the empty bottles
In order to host a fully-fledged eco-friendly cocktail party, you need to find a way to dispose of all those empty wine, beer and spirit bottles. The best way to dispose of them in one go would be to take the bottles to a recycling center. You can also reuse quite a number of these bottles as containers for homemade infusions and mixtures. If that is not enough, you can choose to reuse these bottles as garden accents and other artistic projects.
Are you about to host a cocktail party for your family and friends? Then find out ways in which you can make the party more eco-friendly. From choosing locally brewed wine, organic spirits and homemade mixtures to recycling the bottles after use, these are some of the best ways to ensure that your cocktail party is a great hit, and does not harm the environment much in the process.
